Punjab & Haryana HC adjourns Yuvraj Singh’s petition on ‘media gag’

In his petition, Yuvraj Singh had sought direction to media to refrain from reporting, specifically in his younger brother Zorawar Singh Bundhel’s matrimonial discord case.

cricketUpdated: Sep 08, 2017 23:24 IST

HT Correspondent Hindustan Times Chandigarh

Cricketer Yuvraj Singh(REUTERS)

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday again adjourned the plea of cricketer Yuvraj Singh seeking direction to media houses to refrain from reporting about the personal lives of his family members. The matter is being adjourned since the petition was filed on June 5, 2015 and was taken up at least 18 times since its filing and mostly adjourned on Singh’s lawyer’s request.

The high court is yet to issue notice to any of the parties concerned in the case.

“Prima-facie, this court is convinced that this matter cannot be entertained in the writ jurisdiction. However, Sobti (BBS Sobti, his lawyer) prays for some time to address. Adjourned to September 18, 2017,” the order passed by justice Rajan Gupta reads.

In his petition, Yuvraj Singh had sought direction to media to refrain from reporting, specifically in his younger brother Zorawar Singh Bundhel’s matrimonial discord case.

Zorawar had got married in February 2014 in a Fatehgarh Sahib Gurudwara in Punjab, but later filed for divorce in Chandigarh district court in April 30, 2015.

It was stated in petition that the family had ‘apprehensions’ that in Zoravar’s matrimonial dispute, his Gurugram-based in-laws might hold press conferences with the ‘malafide intention’ to ‘tarnish their image’. Hence, the directions were sought.

Zorawar’s estranged wife, Akansha Sharma, was a contestant of ‘Bigg Boss Season 10’, a reality TV show on a private channel.

On the first date of hearing on June 5, 2015, the high court had declined relief to Singh stating that “Freedom of speech or expression, which is a sacred right of an individual in a democracy conferred and enshrined in the Constitution, cannot be thwarted or stiffed much less merely on apprehension of an abuse.” The matter will now be taken up on September 18.